solar energy

wind

The movement of air relative to the surface of the earth. It's considered to be severe if 58 m.p.h. or greater. Hurricane winds are 74 m.p.h or greater and the highest tornado winds are about 318 m.p.h.

global warming

Greenhouse
Effect

weather

It describes the condition of the air at a particular time and place. Weather also tells how the air moves (wind) and describes anything it might be carrying such as rain, snow or clouds. Thunder, lightning, rainbows, haze and other special events are all part of weather.

hurricane

They are intense storms with swirling winds up to 150 miles per hour. Usually around 300 miles across, hurricanes are 1,000-5,000 times larger than tornadoes. Hurricanes are known by different names around the world. In Japan they are Typhoons, while Australians call them Willy-Willys.

States of matter

liquid

gas

climate

The average of all weather conditions through all season over a period of time. It describes the average weather conditions in a certain place or during a certain season. Weather may change from day to day, but climate changes only over hundreds or thousands of years. Many animals and plants need one kind of climate to survive. Dolphins and palm trees can live only in a warm climate, while polar bears and spruce trees need a cold climate.

dew

tornado

It begins as a funnel cloud with spinning columns of air that drop down from a severe thunderstorm. When they reach the ground they become tornadoes. Tornadoes are between 300 and 2,000 feet wide and travel at speeds of 20 to 45 miles per hour. They usually only last a few minutes, but their spinning winds, up to 300 miles per hour, can lift houses into the air and rip trees from the ground.

mountain

deposition

delta

A fan shaped deposit of earth materials at the mouth of a stream. They are created by deposition. When a fast moving narrow river flows into a large body of water like a lake or ocean you would expect the water to slow and a delta to form.

meandering stream

dam

are designed to hold back water so that the river will not flood its banks. They provide places for people to boat swim and fish in the lake behind that dam that is created. In some cases a dam can provide electricity for a town.